How many of you reading this know how to design a webpage? Have any of you taken a course in Java, PHP, HTML or the like? Chances are a majority of you have not yet you blindly copy-and-paste code into your MySpace profile each time you change your profile. I do not mean to be offensive by any means but computer code can be nasty stuff at times - it is serious business.

Most MySpace users have probably noticed that when you copy-and-paste code from a MySpace Profile design site a graphic or logo toting where you received the code from appears (which you can remove). If you can identify that part of the code then you know more than most. It looks something like this:

a href=”http://www.codesite.com” img src=”http://www.codesite.com/image.gif” /a

The problem is not so much these graphics (unless they take you to malicious sites) but other code you may be unknowingly putting into your page.

Example 1: Adware laden MySpace Videos

Adware doesn’t necessarily destroy your computer but it can really junk it up and cause pop-up window hell. So much that if can crash your computer.

“A profile that pops-up a licensing agreement for a video on the page - if the user clicks OK, Zango Adware is installed on the machine. However, the Zango distributor isn’t creating all these pages…” (from mashable.com)

Example 2: Trojans (back-doors to your computer)

These can be nasty and compromise your MySpace profile as well as other personal information on your computer.

“Most of these malicious codes are Trojans, like the dangerous FireByPass.BA, which captures confidential information entered or saved by users on computers. This and other Trojans found in MySpace use rootkit techniques to hide their processes, which makes them even more dangerous.” (from ITsecurityportal.com)

Example 3: MySpace Trackers

These, quite possibly, are the worst invaders of privacy.

Tracking software IS spyware and creates an open door to your computer as a platform for hackers. Even if you have a firewall in place or a hardwired router; you have now done their job for them by happily copying and pasting the code into your Myspace profile which allows access to personal information. As soon as you copy and paste the code into your profile, the tracking service now has full access to your IP address and the IP address of anyone who visits your page.
(from associatedcontent.com)

My advice…think twice about what you are copying and pasting into your MySpace profile. In a future post I will tell you how to block MySpace trackers from sharing your personal information.

Personally, I use a custom profile for my MySpace page, which you can see here if you like, that does not track you nor contain any malicious code. I have yet to have my MySpace account compromised in anyway.

For a great place to get safe MySpace codes check out this site: boostmyspace.com

Sites to avoid: EverythingMyspace, MyspaceGlitters, LoserAlliance, Deltox and Videocodelab.

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Filed under: F.Y.I., Internet, Social Networks, Tips